GLOBAL HEALTH DIPLOMACY AND THE JUSTIFICATION OF SENDING STATES TO TREAT THEIR CITIZENS ABROAD: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA AND CHINESE DOCTORS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

In the heydays of COVID 19, Chinese doctors volunteered to came and render medical assistance to Nigerian doctors in order to combat the pandemic. The Nigerian government accepted that offer and was willing to collaborate with the Chinese doctors. However, the wishes of Nigerian government to invite Chinese doctors to help Nigerian doctors to combat Nigeria doctors were affected by two main factors. The first factor was the legal regimes that prohibit foreign medical doctors from treatment in Nigeria until certain condition are satisfied. The second reason was due to the fact that prior to that time Nigerian doctors were already having industrial issues with the federal government. Consequently, many writers, especially on medical law condemned the right of foreign doctors to treat patients on Nigerian soil, without adverting their minds to certain exceptions. However, it was the position of this writer that there are certain instances where foreign doctors can treat a patient without complying with Nigeria’s law medical practice. It was in attempt to espouse this position that this work derived its roots. This work further established that foreign doctors can treat patients in Nigerian in their embassies. It also discovered that foreign doctors can treat patients in a situation where there is armed conflict. The work recommended proper understanding of health diplomacy and international law as the way forward. It also recommended the need for Nigeria government to encourage telemedicine in this era of e- health diplomacy. The work deployed the use of statutes, case laws, journals, textbooks, periodicals, statistics and other ancillary sources.